For Ruben ‘Beny’ Esguerra, musician, arts educator, community worker, Ph.D. (ABD) candidate in Musicology/Ethnomusicology and a finalist for the 2021 Toronto Arts Foundation Community Arts Award, art and community are always connected. Growing up in Colombia in a neighbourhood with a rich history of resistance, resilience and subsequently, creativity, Beny very early on was exposed to social injustice and the power of art to carry a message and hold meaning.  

Beny arrived in Canada with his parents as political refugees when he was a child. “The first places where I had an opportunity to perform my original music in Toronto was at International Solidarity events organized by the communities who arrived here for similar reasons. That’s the audience who has always supported my work and as a result I create music that resonates with them,” he says.  

His most recent album entitled Northside KUISi, A New Tradition Vol 3,  received a 2022 JUNO nomination for Global Music Album of the Year.  It features songs that explore issues such as environmental degradation, systemic racism and oppression while also celebrating tradition and emphasizing the need for community collaboration and healing. The very act of collaborating, of uniting artists from different walks of life to work together, is, for Beny, a path to healing.  

Collaborating and healing also underline the purpose for his Wheel it Studios program, which has been funded by Toronto Arts Council through the Creative Communities Projects program for five consecutive years, since 2018.  

Operating under New Tradition Music, Wheel it Studios offers 16 weeks of hands-on studio recording training for participants in two Jane-Finch neighbourhoods. Primarily working out of the Jane and Finch Boys and Girls Club and the Driftwood Boys and Girls Club, Beny and his collaborator Paul ‘Savilion’ DeFrancesco bring the recording equipment to these spaces, making it a “mobile” service. When the COVID-19 pandemic forced the closure of many programs, Wheel it Studios quickly pivoted to deliver equipment to participants at their place of residence and continued personalized training over Zoom.  

Offering training and guidance with beatmaking, music theory, audio engineering and songwriting, the program works with budding youth artists of all abilities and experience levels to hone their skills and expose them to all aspects of professional music recording. Esme, a singer and songwriter who participates in the program notes that “it really helps artists like me that maybe don’t play an instrument or don’t know music theory; it’s really important to learn that language.” Chocolate Coco Baby, another participant notes that “Basically, they taught me everything that you could know about music; they taught me how to create a beat, they taught me how to write a song, how to record it, how to do ad libs – that’s a whole thing in itself.”  

Leading music programs in the Jane Finch / Black Creek community for over 15 years, Beny created Wheel it Studios as a response to several barriers facing the community. The program fills a need for community arts programming and provides a way for artists from different neighbourhoods to collaborate. “Instead of the youth going to a specific location we take portable equipment to places where they feel safe from the street related tensions that exist and as a result all artists in the Jane-Finch arts community can have access and collaborate with each other,” says Beny.  

The outcome after the 16 weeks is a fully produced album, featuring original songs created by the participants. The participants also come together to create a music video for the album single and perform the music for a live audience. Artists like Zakisha Brown and Nathan Baya have experienced great success in their music careers after participating in the program, and doors have opened for many others due to the skills they’ve gained. This is something that Beny personally nurtures, having featured past Wheel it Studios participants Larry Blue, Mystro, Tracey Kayy and Nathan Baya in the track Thin Line from his JUNO nominated album.   

“[Wheel it Studios] is an initiative that continues to build a culture of peace as its lessons on cross-cultural/cross-neighbourhood understanding and collaboration will have long term empowering impacts on our community,” says Beny.  

“Through music and relatable lyrics, let’s feel less lonely and more united,” proposed the artist Borelson as he set out to create his debut full length album. Released in 2020, As Far As Eye Can See is a bold hip hop album that features heavy beats and production that draws on various musical influences. Borelson’s raspy and assertive voice delivers a unifying message of his journey and drive.  

Created with the help of Toronto Arts Council’s Music Creation and Audio Recording funding program, the album was one of his first artistic achievements after moving to Toronto. “It was my debut project here in Toronto, so it felt like being embraced by my new city, that I made the right choice to move here,” said Borelson who noted that the grant helped “open doors” for his artistic career.  

Borelson grew up in Gabon and Congo, lived in France, and eventually moved to Canada by himself. Before moving to Toronto, he could sense the city’s strong creative energy. “What’s unique about Toronto’s arts and music scene is the multiculturalism and the influences coming from everywhere, which creates an interesting environment where everybody can be themselves and bring their own perspective,” he says.  

Being himself and honouring his varied experiences and influences is something that Borelson brings to his art. His music is mainly hip hop, but draws on other genres including afrofusion, jazz, gospel, and occasionally features spoken word. He also works in film. Around the same time as the release of As Far As Eye Can See, Borelson created a docu series entitled ThisFAR of 32 mini episodes featuring immigrants and first generation Canadians and their success stories; a kind of ode to the creative community who helped him when he first arrived in Canada. Currently, Borelson is completing his first feature documentary about the impact of the Covid pandemic on marginalized communities and sectors, and the resilience they had to develop throughout, in order to survive. His debut album and ThisFAR were both inspired by the motto “I didn’t come this far to only come this far,” which he sings in the chorus of a track with the same title.  

Borelson’s drive is something that has helped him build his artistic network and form exciting collaborations, particularly when he sought to make his debut album in a new city. “Even if people barely knew me, they understood my drive, passion and vision. I’m grateful for their trust and what we were able to create,” he says of that experience.  

Now, also with the support of a TAC grant, Borelson is taking his passion for growth to new levels. After receiving a Newcomer and Refugee Artist Mentorship grant, he teamed up with Polaris Prize short-listed artist Junia-T to hone artistic skills like songwriting and composing as well as business acumen in marketing, networking and more. “It’s really a blessing to be mentored by someone who is wise, well respected in the game, and who tapped into multiple sides of his creativity (rapping, producing, DJing, etc.) just like I am trying to do,” says Borelson, who notes that the experience is also helping him navigate the music industry with better clarity. 

In the fall of 2021, Borelson released his sophomore album, Building Bridges. The album builds on his signature ambitious, innovative and positive approach with tracks that are already getting national attention. CBC Music’s The Block has given the track “Fearless” airtime and even featured it in a promo ad. “The plate is full. I can’t complain and remain grateful, and energized for the future!” says Borelson. 

Follow Borelson by visiting his website: www.borelson.com 

What was a career-pausing injury led to the creation of an award-winning dance company; this is the founding story of Holla Jazz, guided by Choreographer and Artistic Director Natasha Powell. The company — which caught the attention of the Toronto dance scene in 2018 with its inaugural production FLOOR’D —  showcases traditional jazz dance with contemporary forms, culminating in highly energetic, innovative, intentional yet spontaneous creations.  

Powell, born to a Jamaican father and Grenadian mother, was surrounded by dance from the start. At the height of hip hop in the nineties, her older siblings threw backyard parties. The celebratory gathering of people and music, as well as social dancing in Black culture had a profound impact on her love for and approach to the form. The works created as part of Holla Jazz pulse with life through dance and live music.  

In 2010, Powell suffered a meniscus tear and had to have knee surgery, temporarily halting her dance career. She used that time to reflect on her craft, interests and ambitions. It also caused her to think more about a documentary that she once watched and couldn’t shake: Everything Remains Raw by dance educator, author and professor Moncell Durden. The film investigates the deep-structure and Afro-Kinetic memory present in dance practices throughout the African Diaspora. Her interest in the film led to a residency in New York with Durden to learn more about the lineage of jazz dance, and how Black social dance has grown from the early 1900s to now.  

She took her learnings, including traditional vernacular jazz dances such as the “Shim Sham” and “Black Bottom,” back to Toronto and shared them with collaborators Raoul Wilke, Caroline “Lady C” Fraser and Miha Matevzic. Merging their practiced dance forms of hip hop and house together with this dance form, they began the journey of honouring the history of jazz dance, while looking at its present and future possibilities. “Holla Jazz is this space where you can create experiences for these various forms that originated in different eras but are all connected to live and work together,” says Powell.  

Much like the ethos of Holla Jazz, Powell’s creation process originates with an idea and ensuing research (looking at imagery, reading, listening to music), which then evolves and comes to life through those working with her in the studio. “When I’m creating a piece or new work, I start with a theme that I’m interested in exploring, but then those ideas and themes become enhanced by the people in the room: the performers and collaborators that I’m working with,” explains Powell.  

This was the process that informed the creation of Dances with Trane, a collection of dances inspired by the music of prolific jazz musician John Coltrane, funded in part through TAC’s Dance Projects program. Yet two weeks shy of its premiere at the Meridian Dance Theatre, COVID-19 ripped through the world and everything changed. The premiere has been postponed since then, as Powell opted not to turn it into a film or a livestream. “I create work for that in person, live experience,” explains Powell, “So for [Dances with Trane] it wouldn’t do the form, dancers and musicians justice by turning it into a livestream.” Instead, Powell had the opportunity to pitch a video series concept to DanceWorks as part of their Moving Online project. Using pre-filmed footage captured by dancer and filmmaker Kristine Flores, the series, called 12 Notes, presents short vignettes featuring Holla Dance collaborators speaking about their experiences in the company. To allow viewers the opportunity to hear from the artists was very important for Powell when creating the concept.  

Working as an artist during the pandemic continues to be difficult for many, but artists and arts organizations are great at finding innovative ways to bring new work to audiences. As one of two Artists in Residence for Fall for Dance North, alongside Calgary-based artist Kimberley Cooper, Powell was invited to present work in the west wing of Union Station in fall 2021. Using photography and augmented reality, people were able to scan QR codes with their phones to view stills of dancers come to life with pre-recorded dance videos. Powell’s work with Fall for Dance North is continuing as she’s currently creating a new work for its 2022 iteration.  

As for Dances with Trane? “It’s not gone: I can’t wait to share it with the world on stage and in person, live,” says Powell. Toronto can’t wait either.    

“Normal.” This is a word that is often called upon as the world continues to grapple with the covid-19 pandemic. Questions like: when will we return to normal, what will become our new normal, or is normal even desirable, are often raised. “Normal” is also the word that appears in the marketing materials of the 29th iteration of the Rendezvous with Madness Festival (RWM), a multidisciplinary festival that aims to reduce stigma around mental health and addiction issues. Pink inflatable balloons floating in the air spell the word out, and, depending on the viewer’s perspective, the balloons can be seen as either floating away, or coming towards you. 

“I think we are all unpacking this together” notes Kelly Straughan, Executive Artistic Director of Workman Arts, the organization that runs the Festival. Yet with all of the adjustments we’ve made as a society because of the pandemic, and as the city opens up, it’s safe to say that we’re experiencing something new; this is what shaped the vision of RWM 2021, taking place October 28 – November 7, 2021. Operating in a hybrid form by offering audiences the choice to attend both online and in-person (at 50% capacity), the entire festival experience will be different, new, and certainly thought-provoking.   

Located in The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Workman Arts offers both member-only and public-facing programming. Professional semestered training courses in Media, Literary Arts, Music, Theatre and Visual Arts, are available to its 500 member artists who identify as having lived experience of mental health or addiction issues. These courses, while focusing on artistic practice, have the added mental health benefits of reducing social isolation and promoting productive habits, notes Straughan. 

Its public-facing programming, including its flagship Rendezvous with Madness Festival, the annual Being Scene juried art exhibition, and presentations that take place throughout the year, not only empower artists with lived experience, but also serve to reduce the stigma around mental health and addiction issues. Their public programming, states Straughan, “does what art does: they promote empathy and understanding, and you get to see what it’s like to walk in someone else’s shoes,” she says. 

RWM wasn’t always a multidisciplinary festival. In 2018 in its 26^th year, it grew from a film-only festival to include many other types of art, like visual arts, media arts, performance art, theatre and dance. “With different art forms, there are different experiences, different entry points, and obviously different conversations,” says Straughan. With visual arts, she notes as an example, audiences have agency over their viewing experience; you can decide how long you want to view a piece, and your own experience informs your interpretation. 

The immersive aspect of other art forms provide a multitude of avenues with which to challenge and advance perspectives on mental health. Straughan recalls past festival presentations including a space that was designed to make audiences understand what it’s like to have voices in your head all the time, and Psychosis from 2019, a dance piece created by choreographer Ronald Taylor that shows a psychotic breakdown in a very visceral way. Workshops, post-screening conversations and Q&A’s are also a staple of the Festival. “The discussions are important to unpacking the art together,” says Straughan.   

While switching to online fully in 2020—and again partially for this year—was necessary for health measures, the move has proven to be beneficial for film audiences. Straughan explains: “It seems like online has been a nice addition for people who have discomfort being in large groups or have accessibility issues or mental health reasons why they’re not comfortable out in public.” With online, they can still be a part of the festival experience, and for film at least, showing it online does not sacrifice the quality or intention of the art. 

RWM 2021 will feature a variety of works, including the opening night film Kímmapiiyipitssini: The Meaning of Empathy by filmmaker Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers which chronicles the impact of the opioid crisis on Alberta’s Kainai First Nation, the In(site) Exhibition featuring works that are intended to be experienced virtually, and the theatre production of Rosa Laborde’s True which centers around an aging father who develops Alzheimer’s. 

For those working in the arts sector who want to engage in the conversation further, Workman Arts’ BigFeels: Post Radical Growth Symposium: Making Space for Mental Health in the Arts is taking place November 1-3, 2021. 

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Workman Arts receives funding through Toronto Arts Council’s Creative Communities Operating program.